1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an air conditioner capable of measuring a distance to a human body using human body-detecting sensors and adjusting the speed and direction of wind based on the distance to the human body, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional air conditioners operate regardless of the locations of human bodies. However, adjusting the direction and strength of wind according to the locations of human bodies will be effective for energy saving. Accordingly, concerns about a technology for recognizing the locations of human bodies and adjusting the direction and strength of wind according to the locations of the human bodies are increasing.
In general, human body-detecting technologies sense the locations and motions of human bodies using an image camera or a heat sensor.
Human body-detecting methods using an image camera can acquire various information about the locations, motions, etc. of human bodies, however, require a microcontroller unit (MCU) having advanced specifications as well as a camera since they use an image recognition technology.
The heat sensor can be classified into a three-dimensional (3D) warning type and a surface warning type.
The 3D warning type heat sensor includes a fixed human body-detecting sensor, and can detect only motion of a human body in a sensing region.
The surface warning type heat sensor can detect even an angle formed between a human body-detecting sensor and a human body who exists in a sensing region although supplementary equipment for rotating the human body-detecting sensor in the sensing region is needed.